Since Art's stroke, we have learned that we love to play games! Art has become a pretty good Rummy player, though I usually win. The other night, he beat me so bad! I got to thinking that it probably had to be a result of the amazing "Red Beans and Rice" that I had concocted for us the night before. Red Beans and Rice is a very popular southern dish, especially if you are from south Mississippi or Louisianna. The traditional recipe calls for fatty sausage, high in sodium, and rich red beans in a relatively soupy but dark sauce. "Hmmm...," I wondered. "How to make a great dish without all the fat and sodium?"

I discovered a great turkey sausage by Hillshire Farms after searching all the brands. Although it is not labeled as low fat, it actually has less fat than the Lite Turkey Sausage, and less sodium. Go figure. Great flavor and texture, too. I used one half package for this dish, cutting the sausage portion down to conserve on fat and sodium. Replacing some of the meat in this dish with veggies is a great way to pump up the fiber, add flavor and stretch the meal out, saving money, too, on an already low budget meal.

Creole Red Beans and Rice

Success brown rice, prepared according to the instructions (the easiest brown rice, and quick)
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 package Hillshire Farms Turkey Sausage, rinsed and cut 1/3 inch on diagonal
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth
1 can sodium reduced pinto or red kidney beans

Heat oil in heavy pot. Saute garlic, onion and peppers until peppers begin to darken but veggies are still firm. Add sausage. Stir gently. Keep heat at medium temperature. Add small amount of water as the mixture cooks slowly to prevent scorching. Rinse beans well and add them and the remaining water. Stir in spices. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure that mixture does not stick. Add small amount of water or broth as needed to keep mixture somewhat soupy. Add a bit of cornstarch in water at the end to thicken if you like. I like it a bit soupy to serve over the rice.

Serve 1/2 cup rice with 1/2 cup of red bean mixture. Makes about six servings. Add Tobasco sauce to suit your taste.